The present invention relates to a basketball hoop structure adapted for selective mounting to a door or similar structural building member as an amusement device for playing a basketball game.
In recent years, small scale versions of a basketball hoop and net assembly have become popular indoor amusement devices presenting a target through which a small scale basketball or like object can be tossed, thereby simulating the playing of basketball.
Several relatively dissimilar structures for supporting small scale basketball hoop and net assemblies are commercially available. For example, one commercially available structure includes a pole supported vertically by a stand and having a small scale basketball hoop mounted to a backboard secured to the pole at a spacing above the stand. This type of structure typically is capable of supporting the small scale basketball hoop at differing selected elevations above the floor and likewise can be moved to various positions around the floor. Another type of commercially available small scale basketball hoop and support structure provides a hoop having suction cups mounted to opposite rearward sides of the hoop. The suction cups are adapted to mount the hoop to a flat surface which the cups can engage by suction action. Yet another commercially available type of small scale basketball hoop and support is a hoop connected to a bracket which is adapted to be mounted over the top of a building structure such as the top of a door, without interference to the closing of said door.
As can be appreciated, each of the above-mentioned commercially available small scale basketball hoop and support assemblies suffer from several specific and general disadvantages. For example, the stand of the pole support structure requires a commensurate amount of floor space which limits appeal of the structure. The suction cup assembly suffers from the drawback inherent to such suction cup-type mounting assemblies in that only certain non-porous surfaces will cooperate with the suction cups and the suction action may not be reliably maintained due to, for example, temperature changes. The bracket type assembly has inherent limitations with respect to varying the vertical spacing of the small scale basketball hoop from the floor since the bracket must necessarily be mounted on top of the support structure, such as a door, to maintain the basketball hoop in a horizontal position, thereby eliminating its usage by vast number of young potential users.